On the Job: Apps for job-hunting under the radar screen – OCRegister

If you’re thinking about switching jobs, it pays to keep your search under the radar – and a slew of new job hunting apps can help.

Keeping a job search in stealth mode means you won’t needlessly upset your boss in case you decide later you’re better off staying put. You’ll also avoid having to answer questions about a job search from co-workers, family and friends until you’ve got good news to share.

Even if you’re not ready to jump ship, career experts suggest keeping on top of the job market in your area or field. Knowing about openings can help if you’re negotiating a raise. You never know – you might even stumble onto your dream job.

If you are looking, you are not alone. The number of people around the country expected to change jobs this year is rising, according to federal jobs data. The “quit rate” of employees who voluntarily left a job – ostensibly because they had another one lined up – was slightly less than 2 percent in both January and February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If people continue to switch at the same pace for the rest of 2015, more than one in five U.S. workers will have a new job by the end of this year, according to the agency.

A handful of newer apps are specifically designed to keep job hunters’ identities cloaked until they decide to reveal it, taking a page from dating apps such as Tinder.

Most of the apps are free and available for Apple and Android smartphones. In addition to apps, some app developers offer web-based versions of the same software, so once you have an account, you can access it from a tablet, laptop or desktop computer as well as a phone.

Here are some noteworthy entries:

Switch

Whether you use it or not, you may know Tinder is the dating app that lets you anonymously swipe through pictures of prospective dates. Using the same principle, Switch lets job hunters scan listings and swipe to the right to see jobs they want to know more about, or to the left to pass. Companies can use the app too, to look at abbreviated resumes called “Switch Cards,” which show information from job hunters’ profiles relevant to positions the employers are seeking to fill. When there’s a match, job hunters or companies get an email and notification on their phone, and can use the in-app chat feature to follow up with a text.

Cost: free

Works on: Apple devices

Jobr

Like Switch, Jobr lets users swipe right or left to show their interest in job listings – of which the app’s developer, Jobr Inc., says it has posted 1 million since launching in May 2014. In March, the company unveiled a redesigned version of its iPhone app and rolled out a version for Android-based phones. The company also introduced a referral program that pays people $1,000 if a friend they refer for a job gets hired through Jobr. It’s no secret that anonymousjob-hunting apps aspire to be the Tinder of the employment business, and to that end Jobr said it has brought on Tinder co-founders Sean Rad and Justin Mateen as advisors and investors.

Cost: Free

Works on: Apple and Android devices

Poacht

The app’s developer calls Poacht the “covert job search for the currently employed.” If you’re on LinkedIn – and if you’re job hunting, you should be – you can connect to the business-oriented social network from inside the app and automatically download data to create a Poacht profile. The app matches job hunters with positions based on what they say they’re looking for, and it conceals their identity until they’re ready to talk. Companies can use the app to set up a job interview, eliminating the need foremail follow-ups.

Cost: Free

Works on: Apple and Android devices

Jobmaster

The Jobmaster app aggregates job listings from close to 1,000 job boards around the world, including Glassdoor, Craigslist, CareerBuilder and 26 others in the U.S. Searching national job boards is free. Job hunters can upgrade for access to state-level job boards and ones specific to such professions as accounting, aviation and design. Jobmaster developer CareerCloud has an Android version in the works that the company hopes will be out later this year. A second CareerCloud app, Hidden Jobs, crawls company websites for articles about expansions – the first sign a business might be hiring – and lists the news in a database that’s searchable by state.

Cost: Free (companion niche and state job site directories are 99 cents each)

Works on: Apple devices

Career Sushi

Technically not an app, this web-based service lets job seekers create a multimedia profile that takes the place of a traditional resume and looks great on a phone, tablet or other electronic device. Once job seekers create a profile, they can add work samples and images – including recording a video to submit with an application – and use it to apply for jobs. Built-in analytics let users see the companies that have viewed their profile, track applications and send messages to hiring managers. A premium version offers exclusive job listings and custom tools, and allows users to submit an unlimited number of applications.

Cost: Free, or $9.99/month, or $99/year for premium edition

Works on: Mobile-friendly website

Read more: These 8 mobile apps might help you land a job.

Michelle V. Rafter specializes in covering jobs and employment issues. Send your questions about job hunting, careers or workplace issues to her at michellerafter@comcast.net or find her on Twitter @MichelleRafter.